Road users advised of heavy rain in Devon on A30 and A38
Highways England is advising drivers on the A38 and A30 in Devon to be cautious as there is significant surface water on the road.
A heavy band of rain has been moving across the South West since this morning along with high winds and the unsettled conditions are expected to continue into the afternoon.
Drivers are advised to drive appropriately for the weather conditions and keep up to date on the latest weather and traffic reports.
Highways England’s operations manager, Sean Dowding, said:
A small section of the A38 had to be closed earlier today following flooding but was quickly reopened after we cleared the drains of debris.
We are keeping a close eye on the situation and the A38 and A30 are both open but we would advise people to drive with extra care until the conditions improve.
Highways England is giving the follow advice to drivers.
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visibility is reduced in heavy rain, so use your lights and make sure you can be seen - don’t just rely on the vehicle running lights if you have them. Be aware that even in lighter rain the amount of spray can also reduce visibility
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when the road is wet it can take twice as long to stop. Slow down and maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front
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if your vehicle loses grip (aquaplanes) on surface water, take your foot off the accelerator to slow down. Do not brake or steer suddenly because you have less control of the steering and brakes
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try to avoid driving through surface water as you might flood your engine
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if you have to drive through floods, drive slowly, use a low gear and try to keep the engine revving at a high rate. Move forward continuously to avoid stalling the engine. When driving an automatic vehicle, engage and hold in a low gear
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test your brakes after driving through water; they may be ineffective
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make sure your windscreen wipers are working effectively. They will need to work especially hard in torrential rain and hailstorms and if your visibility is reduced, please slow down
General enquiries
Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.
Media enquiries
Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.